Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani became a two-way sensation again on Monday against the Padres, pitching in a major-league game for the first time since 2023.
His first pitch was a 97.6 mph fastball low in the strike zone, which Fernando Tatis Jr. fouled off. After three balls, Ohtani then got Tatis to swing and miss at a 98.3 mph fastball before the Padres right fielder hit a 99.1 mph inside fastball for a single.
With Luis Arraez at the plate in a 1-2 count, Tatis advanced to second on a wild pitch, which was clocked at 100.2 mph. Arraez followed by lining a low 98 mph sinker to center field and advancing Tatis to third base. That put him in position to score on the subsequent sacrifice fly by Manny Machado.
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Ohtani probably should’ve had a strikeout on Machado, but the Padres third baseman was ruled to have checked his swing on Ohtani’s 1-2 sweeper.
Ohtani allowed only that one run on two hits. He recorded the second out by getting Gavin Sheets to ground out to second base with an 98.9 mph fastball inside. He got out of the inning with a 95.4 mph sinker that Xander Bogaerts grounded to third.
After leaving the mound, Ohtani didn’t go to the dugout to talk with coaches or trainers. He went straight to the rail to put on his gear and bat leadoff. He struck out swinging against Padres starter Dylan Cease.
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Ohtani finished with 28 pitches, 16 of them for strikes, with three swing-and-misses. Anthony Banda took over to pitch for the Dodgers in the second inning.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced to reporters on Sunday that Ohtani would open the game, pitching one or two innings. He can then stay in the game as the designated hitter, thanks to a 2022 MLB rule change.
Typically, a pitcher returning from injury would go on a minor-league rehab assignment to face live hitters and play in game conditions. But with Ohtani so crucial to the Dodgers’ lineup, the team couldn’t afford to be without his bat.
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The Dodgers’ original plan was for Ohtani to throw to live hitters in simulated game conditions. But Ohtani believes that pitching a bullpen session requires the same preparation as throwing in an actual game. Thus, the decision was made for him to do so under shorter circumstances.
Ohtani had not pitched since undergoing elbow surgery in September 2023. His recovery timetable was pushed back after he suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder during the World Series and requirined surgery to repair that injury.
In his MLB career as a pitcher, Ohtani has compiled a 3.01 ERA in 86 starts with a strikeout rate of 11.4 per nine innings over five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
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